David McGuinty sparks Tory outrage with 'go back to Alberta' remarks

EDMONTON — Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau distanced himself Tuesday from an assertion by his party’s natural resources critic that Alberta Tories have a protectionist, provincial view of energy policies.

Asked at a campaign appearance in Edmonton what he thought of reported remarks by David McGuinty, Trudeau would not comment directly but stressed his priority is national unity.

“My entire campaign has been about bringing people together, about not pitting region against region and about being a strong representative and a voice that says the same thing in Chicoutimi as we say in downtown Calgary as I’ll say in Toronto as I’ll say in B.C.,” said Trudeau.

McGuinty was reported by Sun Media as saying that Alberta Conservatives should “go back to Alberta” and that they don’t belong in Parliament unless they adopt a more national view of the energy industry. McGuinty did not return calls from The Canadian Press.

The comments sparked outrage in Conservative Alberta, where the Liberals are working hard to try and gain even a toehold. Trudeau has been to the province twice already and his leadership rival Martha Hall Findlay chose to launch her campaign in Calgary.

“This anti-Alberta prejudice is the same the Liberals had when they brought in the disastrous National Energy Policy in the 1980s that did tremendous damage to our economy and cost Albertans billions of dollars,” she said.

“David McGuinty’s role as official energy critic should make every Albertan worry.”

The comments also set the Internet a-Twitter with vitriol.

MP David McGuinty's comments remind me of Reform Party comments made against Quebec politicians in the 1990s. #cdnpoli#lpc